My mom always says, and I agree, that things happen for a reason - we don't often know why but when sucky things come up, better things tend to follow.
After the wierdest weather day ever in Wisconsin on Tuesday, my 7 am flight Wednesday to start my trip was canceled. After several attempts at trying to work things out with the airport, I ended up with a 12:20 pm flight directly to Hong Kong from O'Hare - - this worked out MUCH better than to have to leave at 7 am and transfer in San Fran.
The plane ride to Hong Kong was good - well, as good as spending 15 + hours on a plane can be I suppose! I was able to sleep right away after taking off and be up towards the end of the flight which is really helping my jet lag. I sat next to a lovely older Vietnamese couple who spoke some english but lost me when I tried to get them to talk about their trip to the states. The did tell me how lovely Ho Chi Minh was though.
My flight from Hong Kong to Ho Chi Minh was delayed by an hour or so which was fine by me - I enjoyed taking an extra long walk around the airport to stretch out my legs.
After getting my luggage and going through customs, I headed outside to look for Chris, it was such an interesting arrival procedure. I walked outside to massive crowds standing behind gard rails, it looked like something you'd see at an award show in LA - the fans smashed up as far to the front as they can to catch a look at their favorite celebs - - I was really waiting for people to start taking pictures, but I had to remember I wasn't on the red carpet :)
Amen that Chris is tall and so am I - we found each other really quickly in the sea of people and headed to his place. We did a mini driving tour just around his apartment so that I could get my barrings and then headed to his place which is really lovely. It's called Norfolk Mansion and with all the amenities, I really am going to be spoiled here - - beautiful outdoor pool, gym, amazing view, and someone to clean it - what more can a girl ask for??
I'm getting ready to start my day - I'm heading to the gym for a quick work out, hoping that my legs still know how to function and then I'm off to explore a little before Chris gets home from work and we head to the beach - it was 80 degrees when I arrived last night and let me tell you how good it felt to have some warm air for a change!!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Yet another milestone
As of this morning at 6 am I have officially lost 70 pounds according to the scale in the fitness center at the Y and I'm pretty darn proud of myself.
Over the last 7 months, I have been asked what my "diet" is, or if I'm sick...the truth is I'm not on a diet, I've made a lifestyle change, one that certainly does not involve being sick in any way, shape, or form...it's been a lot of hard work, and surprisingly, a lot of fun.
Since my mom and dad are crusing somewhere fabulous (I really am not even sure where they are!) I left a voice mail for my mom and I was surprised at how emotional I was.
When I hit 50 I was pretty overcome with emotion - this is a huge undertaking and I was begining to become this whole new person, taking charge of my body and my emotions. And this morning, being 70 down, I was amazed that this continues to be such an emotional process.
I have to remind myself everyday that I am in charge of my body - how hard I push it and what I put in it are up to me - and there are days that I mess up and I have to remind myself that it's ok to make mistakes - because I'll get through it and forge ahead.
I also need to remind myself to love my body and what it is able to do now that would have NEVER happened 7 months ago. I'm so much stronger than I have ever been - I actually have biceps - who knew! My legs are stronger and I'm getting faster during my runs and am able to add miles.
I still focus on the flaws that I have - and I have serveral, but I'm continuing to plug away and work on them. I still have some to lose and I'll get there...But, I've realized in the world of instant gratification that we are all looking for I've realized that it's ok to take the slow and steady route.
Over the last 7 months, I have been asked what my "diet" is, or if I'm sick...the truth is I'm not on a diet, I've made a lifestyle change, one that certainly does not involve being sick in any way, shape, or form...it's been a lot of hard work, and surprisingly, a lot of fun.
Since my mom and dad are crusing somewhere fabulous (I really am not even sure where they are!) I left a voice mail for my mom and I was surprised at how emotional I was.
When I hit 50 I was pretty overcome with emotion - this is a huge undertaking and I was begining to become this whole new person, taking charge of my body and my emotions. And this morning, being 70 down, I was amazed that this continues to be such an emotional process.
I have to remind myself everyday that I am in charge of my body - how hard I push it and what I put in it are up to me - and there are days that I mess up and I have to remind myself that it's ok to make mistakes - because I'll get through it and forge ahead.
I also need to remind myself to love my body and what it is able to do now that would have NEVER happened 7 months ago. I'm so much stronger than I have ever been - I actually have biceps - who knew! My legs are stronger and I'm getting faster during my runs and am able to add miles.
I still focus on the flaws that I have - and I have serveral, but I'm continuing to plug away and work on them. I still have some to lose and I'll get there...But, I've realized in the world of instant gratification that we are all looking for I've realized that it's ok to take the slow and steady route.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Happy New Year!
I can't believe that it's 2008 already! This summer, I will have my 10 year high school class reunion and it kind of snuck up on me!
I never make a big deal out of New Years eve, I tend to think it's an evening for the amateur drinkers to go out and cause chaos and I typically like to stay away from that.
This year however, my friend Rachel and I decided to do something big - we ended up at the Intercontinental Hotel, rocking short little cocktail dresses and partying with the beautiful people of Milwaukee.
We kind of spaced out calling for a cab early in the evening, so when we were told it could be up to 2 hours to get a cab when we did call around 8 pm we were a tad bit nervous we'd even make it out for the night. However, fate stepped in and amazingly enough there was a cab in Rachel's neighborhood and we were out the door and on the road within 8 min. of calling. As Karma would have it though, we ended up waiting for almost 2 hours at the end of the night.
The party at the Intercontinental took a while to get started, but once it did it was a blast! Rachel and I scrounged up appetizers whenever we could catch a waiter and they were wonderful. Chicken fingers breaded in this yummy coconut breading, these deep fried artichoke hearts with cheese, mini egg rolls, mini burgers, seared tuna, etc...it was all really wonderful and since neither of us had eaten much throughout the day we were happy to have some sustenance while drinking!
Our first encounter with men that evening was a tad bit frightening - Gill came over and introduced himself and his friend soon followed and soon after we started chatting with them we made a bee line for the bathroom, getting stuck with guys like that all evening was not what we were looking for.
We soon found our way back to the bar and met some fun guys - two of whom co-host a morning radio show in Milwaukee and who were there to introduce The Guffs when they went on late in the evening.
Lots of gin and tonic later we headed up to the bands and since Rachel and I didn't really know The Guffs (we knew a few songs but aren't major followers) we rocked out to what we thought was them for awhile.
Our champagne toast at midnight was followed by kissing random men to start the new year - always a fun thing to do and a great start to the year!
We ended up at another bar towards 1:30 am and called for a cab shortly after getting there and when we finally made it into a cab with two rather odd people who although scary were nice enough to share it was after3. Apparently these people had won tickets to the Intercontinental from the dj's that we had been hanging with all night and they shared a cab to the bar and were left there when the dj's got out. They were nice enough and we complimented the guy's pink rat tail to be nice.
It was a fun fun evening and a great way to start 2008, I can only hope that the rest of my year is as fun as my New Years eve!!
I never make a big deal out of New Years eve, I tend to think it's an evening for the amateur drinkers to go out and cause chaos and I typically like to stay away from that.
This year however, my friend Rachel and I decided to do something big - we ended up at the Intercontinental Hotel, rocking short little cocktail dresses and partying with the beautiful people of Milwaukee.
We kind of spaced out calling for a cab early in the evening, so when we were told it could be up to 2 hours to get a cab when we did call around 8 pm we were a tad bit nervous we'd even make it out for the night. However, fate stepped in and amazingly enough there was a cab in Rachel's neighborhood and we were out the door and on the road within 8 min. of calling. As Karma would have it though, we ended up waiting for almost 2 hours at the end of the night.
The party at the Intercontinental took a while to get started, but once it did it was a blast! Rachel and I scrounged up appetizers whenever we could catch a waiter and they were wonderful. Chicken fingers breaded in this yummy coconut breading, these deep fried artichoke hearts with cheese, mini egg rolls, mini burgers, seared tuna, etc...it was all really wonderful and since neither of us had eaten much throughout the day we were happy to have some sustenance while drinking!
Our first encounter with men that evening was a tad bit frightening - Gill came over and introduced himself and his friend soon followed and soon after we started chatting with them we made a bee line for the bathroom, getting stuck with guys like that all evening was not what we were looking for.
We soon found our way back to the bar and met some fun guys - two of whom co-host a morning radio show in Milwaukee and who were there to introduce The Guffs when they went on late in the evening.
Lots of gin and tonic later we headed up to the bands and since Rachel and I didn't really know The Guffs (we knew a few songs but aren't major followers) we rocked out to what we thought was them for awhile.
Our champagne toast at midnight was followed by kissing random men to start the new year - always a fun thing to do and a great start to the year!
We ended up at another bar towards 1:30 am and called for a cab shortly after getting there and when we finally made it into a cab with two rather odd people who although scary were nice enough to share it was after3. Apparently these people had won tickets to the Intercontinental from the dj's that we had been hanging with all night and they shared a cab to the bar and were left there when the dj's got out. They were nice enough and we complimented the guy's pink rat tail to be nice.
It was a fun fun evening and a great way to start 2008, I can only hope that the rest of my year is as fun as my New Years eve!!
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Shift Happens
This is really interesting - and should give you a lot to think about. I saw this awhile ago off of a suggestion from a fellow County Board Supervisor and it's really worth taking a look at.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
The Perfect Something
Trying to come up with the perfect something for everyone at Christmas is potentially the hardest thing ever.
I am a seasoned shopper - one who loves digging through the racks for hours and getting a good deal, and enjoys trying on countless pairs of shoes before settling on the perfect pair. However, when it comes to finding the perfect something for someone who is not me, we have problems.
Is it amazing to anyone else who is childless the way they label kid clothes? I needed to find the perfect trendsetting outfit for my fabulous niece, but who knows what's really going to fit her - I seriously stood in the kid's section of about 10 different stores trying to figure out if there's really a difference between the 18-24 month size and the 2T - I don't believe there is by the way - while my mom and my sister laughed at me every time I called them to question what size does she really wear, or how many pounds is she or how tall? It's amazing how much work toddler clothes shopping is! Kudos to those of you who have to do it more often than me.
And then there's my sister - my wonderful little sister who is so awesome that I really want to find something perfect for - not just a box set DVD of some tragic MTV reality show. However, I don't think that the perfect little something for her exists. I have literally spent over three hours looking for a gift for her - not counting the time I've spent trying to THINK of something - and she's not much help in the idea department.
Where I am super organized and have my wish list written down and actually have a plethora of things on it, she comes up with nothing every time you ask. Maybe she feels funny asking for things - but it's a WISH list - you'd think the girl would have something in mind!!
My main annoyance with trying to find the perfect something for everyone really stems from I feel like we loose the meaning of Christmas when we're all stressed out doing last second shopping.
Christmas time is supposed to be a celebration - not only of the birth of Christ - but of family. Spending time with loved ones should be what the focus is and instead, we rack our brains trying to come up with the perfect something that really may not be obtainable.
So - while my neice may not be the most trendsetting almost 2 year old this Christmas and my sister may wind up with a tragic MTV reality series, it's the time spent with them while unwrapping gifts or going around town looking at Christmas lights, or annoying my sister by belting Christmas songs for hours on end that really counts.
Next year, I'm vowing to spend less time in the stores trying to get the perfect something so I can spend more time enjoying my family.
I am a seasoned shopper - one who loves digging through the racks for hours and getting a good deal, and enjoys trying on countless pairs of shoes before settling on the perfect pair. However, when it comes to finding the perfect something for someone who is not me, we have problems.
Is it amazing to anyone else who is childless the way they label kid clothes? I needed to find the perfect trendsetting outfit for my fabulous niece, but who knows what's really going to fit her - I seriously stood in the kid's section of about 10 different stores trying to figure out if there's really a difference between the 18-24 month size and the 2T - I don't believe there is by the way - while my mom and my sister laughed at me every time I called them to question what size does she really wear, or how many pounds is she or how tall? It's amazing how much work toddler clothes shopping is! Kudos to those of you who have to do it more often than me.
And then there's my sister - my wonderful little sister who is so awesome that I really want to find something perfect for - not just a box set DVD of some tragic MTV reality show. However, I don't think that the perfect little something for her exists. I have literally spent over three hours looking for a gift for her - not counting the time I've spent trying to THINK of something - and she's not much help in the idea department.
Where I am super organized and have my wish list written down and actually have a plethora of things on it, she comes up with nothing every time you ask. Maybe she feels funny asking for things - but it's a WISH list - you'd think the girl would have something in mind!!
My main annoyance with trying to find the perfect something for everyone really stems from I feel like we loose the meaning of Christmas when we're all stressed out doing last second shopping.
Christmas time is supposed to be a celebration - not only of the birth of Christ - but of family. Spending time with loved ones should be what the focus is and instead, we rack our brains trying to come up with the perfect something that really may not be obtainable.
So - while my neice may not be the most trendsetting almost 2 year old this Christmas and my sister may wind up with a tragic MTV reality series, it's the time spent with them while unwrapping gifts or going around town looking at Christmas lights, or annoying my sister by belting Christmas songs for hours on end that really counts.
Next year, I'm vowing to spend less time in the stores trying to get the perfect something so I can spend more time enjoying my family.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Christmas Time in the City
I was fortunate enough to be able to hop on a plane last Thursday and head to Los Angeles - my home away from home for some much needed time with my SoCal friends.
Despite snowstorms and freezing rain I was able to make it out of the Midwest and while I didn't arrive in time for a beer at my favorite Pasadena bar, I at least got there!
While I love LA all year round, Christmas time is pretty special - it's so festive and the best part is that it didn't have the 20 + inches of snow we had back here in Wisconsin!
The Grove in Beverly Hills is always decked out to the max - we caught a show of girls dancing to Christmas music and afterwards fake snow was shot out of all the roof tops of the shops, and while I didn't want to see snow at that moment, it was really fun to watch the little kids get so excited about it.
After we walked along the beach, ate our $1 pizza (that's now $1.50), and looked in some of the shops, Venice was finally complete for me when I saw the crazy speedo guy walking the boardwalk (he was in his speedo but unfortunately, he was missing the ginormous boa constrictor that he usually carries with him).
It's always sad to leave LA and since this was the shortest trip in history it was even harder, but as their Governor likes to say: "I'll be back!" :)
Despite snowstorms and freezing rain I was able to make it out of the Midwest and while I didn't arrive in time for a beer at my favorite Pasadena bar, I at least got there!
While I love LA all year round, Christmas time is pretty special - it's so festive and the best part is that it didn't have the 20 + inches of snow we had back here in Wisconsin!
The Grove in Beverly Hills is always decked out to the max - we caught a show of girls dancing to Christmas music and afterwards fake snow was shot out of all the roof tops of the shops, and while I didn't want to see snow at that moment, it was really fun to watch the little kids get so excited about it.
It was also so nice to be able to spend time with Betty, Mike, Alby, and Stanton for the weekend - they're all such fabulous people and I'm so blessed to have them in my life.
I got to do a little shoe shopping in Hollywood, drink at the 35er, drink martinis at the Olive Garden, go to Venice Beach and the Grove, and have a leisurely breakfast with Eliza my wonderful friend from my Grad school program.
While it was pretty much freezing (ok, not Wisconsin freezing, but LA freezing which means it was in the 40s) Mike, Betty, and I headed to Venice - which is one of my favorite places in the 
world.
After we walked along the beach, ate our $1 pizza (that's now $1.50), and looked in some of the shops, Venice was finally complete for me when I saw the crazy speedo guy walking the boardwalk (he was in his speedo but unfortunately, he was missing the ginormous boa constrictor that he usually carries with him).
It's always sad to leave LA and since this was the shortest trip in history it was even harder, but as their Governor likes to say: "I'll be back!" :)
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Getting a "runner's high" was something I thought was absolutely crazy - - I mean really, who gets a thrill from running?!?
However, once I experienced it, I was hooked.
In August this year, I could run about a mile without wanting to die - in fact, I thought I was going to die.
Throughout the next two months I worked out more and trained a little harder so that by October 21st I could actually run 3.1 miles - so I knew that while I may finish last, I could at least do it.
I completed my first 5K race in 33 min. and 16 sec. - not bad for a girl who could barely run a mile in August (and, I didn't finish last!!). Finishing that race was amazing - passing people towards the end and running as hard as I could across the finish line was overwhelming - and, to get 2nd place in my age group and to get a trophy was actually quite amusing.
While my legs felt like jello and I was a little emotional (this was a really big deal for me!), I felt amazing. Like I could do it again right then (I was SO not going to, but the thought was there!).
I did my second race this weekend and I know my runner's high isn't just a one time thing. Some friends and I ran the Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis on Saturday morning. With winter storm watches and warnings out we were set to run and I was set to beat my October time.
Just as we made our way to the starting line it started to snow - rather hard. It was icy cold and I was praying that I'd be able to make my feet move!
I kept up with my friend Melinda (who is such an awesome encourager and a great runner) for the entire race - and came in at 27 min. and 58 sec. - -knocking more than 5 min. off of my October time - and again, snow covered and freezing, I felt incredible!
I'm not so sure if I'm going to be game for any more outdoor races this winter (mainly because I'm still a California girl and I FREEZE!), but I'm gearing up for the Spring already - aiming to cut more time off and do longer races!
My ultimate goal is to do a marathon when I'm 30 - so for the next three years I'll be challenging myself as much as possible and even throwing in some biathlons and would love to do a triathlon to! If anyone knows of good events, I'm all ears!
However, once I experienced it, I was hooked.
In August this year, I could run about a mile without wanting to die - in fact, I thought I was going to die.
Throughout the next two months I worked out more and trained a little harder so that by October 21st I could actually run 3.1 miles - so I knew that while I may finish last, I could at least do it.
I completed my first 5K race in 33 min. and 16 sec. - not bad for a girl who could barely run a mile in August (and, I didn't finish last!!). Finishing that race was amazing - passing people towards the end and running as hard as I could across the finish line was overwhelming - and, to get 2nd place in my age group and to get a trophy was actually quite amusing.
While my legs felt like jello and I was a little emotional (this was a really big deal for me!), I felt amazing. Like I could do it again right then (I was SO not going to, but the thought was there!).
I did my second race this weekend and I know my runner's high isn't just a one time thing. Some friends and I ran the Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis on Saturday morning. With winter storm watches and warnings out we were set to run and I was set to beat my October time.
Just as we made our way to the starting line it started to snow - rather hard. It was icy cold and I was praying that I'd be able to make my feet move!
I kept up with my friend Melinda (who is such an awesome encourager and a great runner) for the entire race - and came in at 27 min. and 58 sec. - -knocking more than 5 min. off of my October time - and again, snow covered and freezing, I felt incredible!
I'm not so sure if I'm going to be game for any more outdoor races this winter (mainly because I'm still a California girl and I FREEZE!), but I'm gearing up for the Spring already - aiming to cut more time off and do longer races!
My ultimate goal is to do a marathon when I'm 30 - so for the next three years I'll be challenging myself as much as possible and even throwing in some biathlons and would love to do a triathlon to! If anyone knows of good events, I'm all ears!
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